Where Hisoka will always resent the loss of the rest of his life, Hijiri strikes me as just the sort of vain person who would hate to age. Thus the theme of "aging" led me to contrasting the two. Betaed by Eliza and Rune.

They no longer look alike. Hijiri has grown up and shrunk back in on himself with age. He looks on Hisoka's unlined face, meets Hisoka's undimmed eyes, and weeps.

He's allowed to cry; he's an old man.

Even stooped with arthritis, he's taller than Hisoka. Perhaps that's what casts the shadow on Hisoka's face as Hisoka looks up at him.

"You've been dead a week," Hisoka says bluntly. "Is there a reason you're holding on?"

"I wanted to see you. Just one more time, I wanted to see...."

"What you'd escaped from?"

"What I've lost."

Hisoka flinches. "Nothing worth tears."

~END~